पेरेंटहुड

This is only my second review on IMDb. I rarely take the time to write them, but this show really deserves it.

It is not your typical family drama. I know, it might seem like it. You read that Lauren Graham is one of the characters and you get sceptical, if you see a couple of minutes of it here and there it also might seem like all the other bad family dramas you've watched. But it's not.

I really don't get why this show is being so neglected. I've never seen more brilliant performed drama. And yeah, I've watched all the most popular and critically acclaimed shows: The Wire, Six Feet Under, Mad Men, Sopranos etc. Loved them. But neither of these shows has the same degree of realism or the same emotional range (they have a lot of other huge qualities though). The acting is excellent. Superb in every way. The characters are multidimensional, they make mistakes and they go through their everyday problems. You will not see car explosions in this series, and people wont get killed every other episode. Every event builds up real slow, and maybe the biggest dramatic highlight in an episode is that one of the kids have trouble getting friends at school. But that's the beauty of it. It's in the little things.

You might not love it after one episode or two. But like all the best television series it develops best over time. This show has many of the best character developments I've ever seen. If you like quality drama - please give it a try. This show really really deserves it.

(And it only get's better with the seasons. I'm writing this after watching 11 episodes of season 4.)

The pilot started slow . . . but I stuck with it and now it's one of my FAVORITE shows. I LOVE the characters and I actually watch it twice a week. I know . . . I'm a weirdo. I make my husband watch it.

I think the writer did a very good transition from the movie Parenthood to the TV series. Although they have some similarities, it does contain the spirit. It's just a charming and funny family drama. I relate to the circumstances between the siblings. Reminds me of the challenges my sisters and their kids go through. This group of actors have incredible chemistry. This is sort of like the OUR THIRTYSOMETHING.

My only fear is every time I love something it gets canceled.

I actually was very skeptical of this show- at first glance, I didn't see how all these different people were possibly going to mesh with one another on screen (the last time I was this skeptical was seeing the teasers for 30 Rock... that should have been a clue!). After watching the first episode, I was impressed. Granted, there was a lot covered in the pilot, but that's how it is: they have to introduce everybody and what their story lines are in the first 60 minute episode. The "too much" feeling will undoubtedly calm down as we get wrapped up in individuals instead of the mass family group.

Each individual family deals with their share of parenting problems, including Grandma and Grandpa, and they hit every single parenting problem right on the head. We see good teens, bad teens, a kid with a developmental disorder (my son was diagnosed with a developmental disorder in 2009, and I gotta tell you, they absolutely nailed the feelings during the first 48 hours after the diagnosis), single parents, working parents, etc.

It's a good show, and you WILL see something of you or your family in it somewhere.

As a 50 something with grown children this show is so right on. The episode when they found out Max had a real problem was exactly how it went for my wife and I when we got similar news, and the reaction of the grandfather was also spot on. This show is happy, sad and everything in-between, just like real life. It is so good it will probably be taken off the air so that we can be exposed to more of the trash which makes up a lot of todays TV. I also think the brother and sister interaction is great, they can be mad and blow off steam without it becoming a federal case. The marriages are real as well, with different definitions of a good marriage and whats involved. My favorite part though is the relationship between the aunts and uncles and the kids, you treat your own children one way while watching out for the nieces and nephews. Great stuff

Not everyone is going to "approve." The characters make mistakes, sometimes behave irresponsibly, and are full of self doubt. In other words, this is great storytelling. Even if this show is slow to get its start, I hope the network has the foresight to keep it running, because programming of this emotional and moral complexity is a rarity.

Beyond the top notch writing, the acting is superb. These roles are demanding of actors. There are moments of comedy mixed in with real pathos, which requires a cast that has range and depth. Every single casting choice is pitch perfect, and creates a wonderful dynamic on the screen.

This series is well worth watching.